The NSW Planning Minister, Anthony Roberts (Liberal), has avoided honouring his 2019 commitment to cap holiday letting to 90 days in parts of Byron Shire.
The question was put to him by local Greens MP, Tamara Smith, in the Legislative Assembly on March 30.
According to the Hansard transcription, Ms Smith asked, ‘Given the extreme housing emergency in the Northern Rivers, which has been made acute by recent and current floods, when will the Minister deliver on his 2019 commitment to cap holiday letting to 90 days in Byron Shire so that 1,500 whole homes can come onto the private rental market immediately?’
His extensive reply failed to acknowledge his previous commitment, other than to say, ‘During my former role as the Minister for Planning, I met with the Member for Ballina and a number of councillors from the north coast about this issue’.
‘Since then, changes were made by creating statewide planning rules for short-term rental accommodation for up to 180 days’.
Instead of honouring his commitment, Mr Roberts said his government is now ‘looking at ways of increasing supply by cutting assessment time frames and unlocking new housing through infrastructure investment’.
Like too many politicians, Roberts is farting through the wrong hole! Anyone who believes a politician’s promises is naïve. Time to make some pollies jobless and homeless; perhaps then it will sink into their thick, sociopathic skulls that they are totally out of touch with hoi polloi..
Roberts is farting out of the Developers mouths.
You can be sure either him or his mates have got holiday let’s up here in Byron ballina area. Follow the money.
Sociopathic pollies are now a dime a dozen & there’s no end in sight.
Roberts is a puppet of the Developers.
Bragged about ‘listening’ to Urban Taskforce Australia – a lobby group for developers – as he rolled back former Planning Minister Rob Stokes’ rules on this addictive and incessant developing upon floodplains.
Will Roberts and his Urban taskforce Australia mates be there to rescue flood victims from newly developed floodplain lands? We all know the answer to that one.
It is a Greens electorate and the Greens support having a big tourism economy; indeed they campaign for more of it.
This is democracy in action
The Greens support tourism but only tourists should be accommodated in approved visitor and tourist accommodation. That is, businesses that have obtained DA approval from Council and pay business rates. The State government have applied a statewide STRA policy but the Greens want the 90 day promised cap applied to Byron Shire. Not the 180 day cap that currently applies.
You keep saying this. A place with the attractions of this area will always have a tourism industry – we all like to holiday and as far as industries go there are a lot worse. One does not have to be anti tourism to be conscious on the need for controls to curb the disastrous impacts of STHL on local community, amenity and even the economy. How many business struggle to get staff, particularly staff who stick around because they have secure housing?
STHL is causing huge problems in tourist areas the world over. Out state government refuses to acknowledge the problem or budge on it. Is it because the STHL industry is such a powerful lobby or are too many state parliamentarians are invested in it?
There is always tourists in beautiful places. Perhaps the greens reckon when more people see beautiful places they will love this little planet more and try to save it.
By the way, sometimes democracy hurts but it’s the best we have for now. You’re a smart guy Shane, use your powers for good.
Following is the link to Anthony Roberts long winded response. He did not answer Tamara Smith’s question.
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Hansard/Pages/HansardFull.aspx#/DateDisplay/HANSARD-1323879322-123815/HANSARD-1323879322-123837